Footpower snip



June 13,1944.

C. J. DALLEY FOOT POWER SNIP Filed April 7, 1944 INVENTOR I CHARLES J 0411 15) Patented June 13, 1944 FOOTPOWER SNIP Charles J. Dalley, Maplewood, N. J., assignor to The W. H. Compton Shear Company, Newark, N. J., a. copartnership composed of Max G. Hammerschlag and Arthur L. Myers Application April 7, 1944, Serial No. 531L975 (Cl. 1644l4) 7 Claims.

The invention herein disclosed relates to snips for cutting sheet metal.

Objects of the invention are to provide a snip which will have the power and effectiveness of a motor operated cutter, but which can be operated by foot power and the weight of the body applied to a foot pedal, which will be of a size and construction to operate upon the work at a convenient height for a person standing and operating a foot lever, which can be fully manipulated while both hands are free to hold and position the work and in which the working parts will be fully protected so that the operator can give full attention to the work being performed.

Other special objects. are to provide a snip of the character outlined, whichwhile freely portable in the sense that it may be shifted about and placed to best advantage,,will be stable and firm in any position, so that any necessary foot pressure may be applied and which in addition, will be of a knockdown character, so that if need be, it may be quickly taken apart and stored or transported or set up in another location and which will be composed of few and substantial parts, readily shaped to required formation.

Other desirable objects and the novel features by which the various purposes of the invention are attained will be apparent or are set forth in the course of the following specification.

The drawing accompanying and forming part of the specification illustrates one present practical embodiment of the invention; Structure however may be modified and changed all within the true spirit and broad scope of the invention as hereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. 1 in the drawing is a perspective view of the complete machine.

Fig. 2 is a broken'side elevation illustrating the opposite side of the device from that shown in Fig. 1. v

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the cutter head.

As shown in Fig. 1, the base or frame of the device is in the form of a tripod stand made up of three flat bars 5, 6, 1, with their lower ends separated as the three corners of an equilateral triangle and their upper ends twisted or bent at 8, 9, H], to bring them together in edge-toedge relation in a single fiat plane, where they are so secured by a single overlying generally horizontal flat bar I l,. extended over the apex bar I, of the triangle as an upper cutter jaw l2.

The contiguous and substantially parallel upper aligned ends-of thetripod legs are secured and held together, through the medium of the cutter bar I l, by simple bolt fastenings l3, I4, l5.

The lower spread-apart ends of the tripod bars are shown as braced and secured in the triangularly spread relation by flat floor bars or strips l6, l1, l8, and these are secured by having upturned angled ends l9, disposed at the opposite sides of the leg bars and held by through bolts 20.

The lower ends of the leg bars are shown as cut off at angles 2H, flush with the three floor strips, so as to constitute with said floor strips a. solid substantial base structure to stand firmly on any substantially level floor or other support. The fiat base thus provided can easily he slid over a floor to locate the machine in any desired position.

The other, and in this case, the lower cutter jaw 22, is shown as carried by and forming a downward extension of an arched bar ,23, pivoted on the fixed jaw bar H, by a pivot bolt 24.

The movable jaw is shown as operated by a link 25, in the form of a fiat straight strip pivcted at its upper end by bolt 26, to the rearward end of jaw lever 23, and pivoted at its lower end by bolt 26, to foot lever 28. The latter is shown as pivoted at its forward end by bolt 23, to the forward leg bar l, and as having an angularly turned end portion 30, carrying the foot pedal pad 3!, disposed between the two rearward tripod legs 5 and 6. V

The foot lever is shown as yieldingly supported and the jaws as held in open relation by a coiled. tension spring 32, suspended from the lower end of a strap 33, secured by bolt 34, on the forward leg I, the lower end of this spring being hooked into an'anchorage plate 35, secured by bolt 36, to the foot lever between the pivot point 29 and the jaw operating link 25. The latter acts as a push pull connection between the foot lever and movable jaw sustaining the parts normally in the relation shown, with the forward edge of link abutting the rearward edge of the fixed jaw at El, which latter thus serves as a stop to position the foot pedal 3!, at convenient height and the jaws in the desired fully open relation.

To guard the operator against possible injury, a plate 38, is shown interposed between the upper end of link 25, and the rearward end of the movable jaw lever, said plate having-an angularly turned forward portion 39, coming down over the rearward end of the fixed jaw lever II, and an oppositely turned angled edge portion 40, at the rear overlappingthe rearward end of the movable jaw lever. p v

Also, there is provided in the illustration, a

guard plate 4|, overlying the movable jaw lever at the opposite side, Fig. 2, and arched or bowed outwardly and downwardly at 42, to overstand and cover the upper ends of the tripod bars and the heads of the assembling bolts I3, M, [5.

These guards 38, 42, at opposite sides of the shear head are shown as held in place by the bolts used for pivoting the jaw members and for connecting the operating link with the movable jaw, it being noted that pivot bolt 24, passes through the forward portion of guard M, and that bolt 26, passes through both the guards.

In the normal position shown in full lines, the jaws are open ready to receive the work and the pedal is raised ready for pressure of the foot. In this position of the parts, both hands are free to reach forward and position the work between the jaws, While standing at the back of the tripod and looking over the top of the snip directly onto the work. In such relation, the operator canfully see the work and position it properly in the cutter jaws and is ready to step on the foot pedal and apply any necessary pressure to cut heavy as well as light gage material. The guards at opposite sides of the movable jaw protect the worker and prevent clothing getting caught in the movable parts, for at such time, the operator may be leaning forward in a position requiring some protection. The closing movement of the jaws is limited in the illustration, by the movable jawlever 23, coming down on top of the upper end of leg member 5, which in the illustration, is the rearmost of the upper ends of the three leg members. This prevents any overthrow of the pedal or movable jaw and saves straining the spring 32.

The downwardly inclined strap 33, providing the anchorage for the upper end of the spring is shown as held at its upper end by the rearmost assembly bolt I3, and this strap extending from the rearmost tripod leg down over the forward leg 1, thus serves as an additional reinforcement and aligning device for the upper ends of the three tripod legs.

The structure is lightv but strong and has a broad substantial base providing stability and enabling application of forceto cut the heaviest material. The parts can be made up largely of bar and strip stock and these being for the most part in substantially straight pieces can, when the bolts are removed, be packed together ina. relatively small bundle for shipment, storage or the like.

The structure is so simple that it can be taken apart or put together by any one, with the simplest kind of tools. Either or both jaws can be easily removed, as for. sharpening or replacement and this ready removability provides for quick interchange of different kinds or sizes of cutting jaws.

The fixed jaw acting as atie bar for the upper ends of the tripod legs is braced and reinforced and this strengthening of the fixed jaw enables the designing of the movable jaw with the greatest possible leverage, providing for powerful cutting action. Only relatively short bolts are required for securing the parts of the machine in assembled relation and these, if desired, may be all alike and thus usable interchangeably in assembling the structure. The arrangement of the flat tripod bars in on-edge relation, provides maximum strength and stiffness in the stand, with a minimum of weight. In action, the operation of the machine follows that of a hand snip in that the operator cuts away from. himself into the work and so can see and out quickly without danger to himself and through the foot pedal can apply as light or heavy pressure as may be needed.

In the form of the invention here disclosed, it is only necessary to twist two of the tripod bars 5 and 6, as shown at 8 and 9, to bring the upper ends of these into the plane of the other or forward leg I. The fixed jaw member when secured over these fiat upper end portions of the tripod legs then projects out over the forward leg I, and the foot lever which is pivoted to that leg then stands directly beneath the fixed jaw, in position where the link 25, will apply a substantially straight downward pull on the movable jaw member. This construction also locates the foot pedal in the space between the two rearward legs 5, B, of the tripod, where it need not project beyond the base lines of the stand but will at the same time be fully accessible for easy operation. While practical to make the fixed jaw an integral part of the tie bar which fastens the upper ends of the tripod legs together, it is contemplated that the actual cutting edge may be a separately applied part and that this also may be true of the movable cutting edge. Various other such changes come within the definition of the invention and within the intent of the claims.

In commercial manufacture, the upper end of the tripod leg 5, which is the one furthest away from the pivot bolt 24, is left long enough for its upper end to form a stop for the movable arm 23. This determines the closed position of the jaws and prevents excessive overlapping of the cutting blades at the'points of the same. When the blades are sharpened, the material removed may leave the blades in open or in less than fully elosed position. This condition can be quickly corrected by simply filing or otherwise removing material from the upper end of the leg forming the stop. Thus the proper closed position of "he points of the cutting blades can be provided for at any time.

What is claimed is:

1. A foot power snip, comprising a tripod stand of flat straight bars arranged on-edge in upwardly convergent triangular relation and having the upper ends of two of them twisted into the plane of the third, so that all three occupy the same common plane, a jaw member extending across and fixed to the upper ends of said tripod bars, said jaw member projecting forwardly out over said third tripod bar, a foot lever pivoted on said tripod bar below the fixed jaw member, a movable .jaw member pivoted on the projecting portion of the fixed jaw member, a link pivotally connecting said foot lever with said movable jaw member and spring means for normally supporting the foot pedal and holding the movable jaw member in open position.

2. A foot power snip, comprising a tripod stand of fiat straight bars arranged on-edge in upwardly convergent triangular relation and having the upper ends of two of them twisted into the plane of the third, so that allthree occupy the same common plane, a jaw member extending across and fixed to the upper ends of said tripod bars, said jaw member projecting forwardly out over said third tripod bar, a foot lever pivoted on said tripod bar below the fixed jaw member, a movable jaw member pivoted on the projecting portion of the fixed jaw member, a link pivotally connecting saidfoot lever with said movable jaw member, spring means for normally supporting the foot pedal and holding the movable jaw member in open position and fiat floor bars extending between the lower separated ends of the tripod bars, said fioor bars having upturned angled ends rigidly secured to the tripod bars.

3. A foot power snip, comprising a tripod stand of fiat straight bars arranged on-edge in upwardly convergent triangular relation and having the upper ends of two of them twisted into the plane of the third, so that all three occupy the same common plane, a jaw member extending across and fixed to the upper ends of said tripod bars, said jaw member projecting forwardly out over said third tripod bar, a foot lever pivoted on said tripod bar below the fixed jaw member, a movable jaw member pivoted on the projecting portion of the fixed jaw member, a link pivotally connecting said foot lever with said movable jaw member, spring means for normally supporting the foot pedal and holding the movable jaw memher in open position, and guard means attached to the movable jaw member and extending over the upper ends of the tripod bars.

4. A foot power snip, comprising a tripod stand of fiat straight bars arranged on-edge as the corners of a triangle and in upwardly convergent relation, the upper ends of said bars being brought together substantially edge-to-edge in a single common plane, a fixed jaw member extending across said upper ends of the tripod bars and detachably connected therewith, a, movable jaw member pivotally connected with said fixed jaw member, a link pivotally dependent from said movable jaw member, a foot lever pivoted on one of the tripod bars and pivotally connected with the lower end of said link and a jaw opening and foot lever sustaining spring connected between the upper portion of said tripod stand and said foot lever.

5. A foot power snip, comprising a tripod stand of fiat straight bars arranged on-edge as the corners of a triangle and in upwardly convergent relation, the upper ends of said bars being brought together substantially edge-to-edge in a single common plane, a fixed jaw member extending across said upper ends of the tripod bars and detachably connected therewith, a movable jaw member pivotally connected with said fixed jaw member, a link pivotally dependent from said movable jaw member, a foot lever pivoted on one of the tripod bars and pivotally connected with the lower end of said link and jaw opening and foot lever sustaining means and guard means carried by the movable jaw member and extending over the upper end portion of said tripod stand.

6. A foot power snip, comprising a tripod stand of fiat straight bars arranged on-edge as the corners of a triangle and in upwardly convergent relation, the upper ends of said bars being brought together substantially edge-to-edge in a single common plane, a fixed jaw member extending across said upper ends of the tripod bars and detachably connected therewith, a movable jaw member pivotally connected with said fixed jaw member, a link pivotally dependent from said movable jaw member, a foot lever pivoted on one of the tripod bars and pivotally connected with the lower end of said link, jaw opening and foot lever sustaining means and fiat floor engaging strips flush with the lower ends of the tripod bars and having angled end portions secured over opposite sides of said tripod bars.

7,. A foot power snip, comprising a stand composed of leg bars and a fixed cutter bar connected with the upper ends of the same, a movable cutter bar pivoted to the fixed cutter bar and operating over the upper end of one of the leg bars and whereby said upper end of said leg bar constitutes a stop limiting the travel of the movable cutter bar, a link connected with said movable cutter bar and a foot lever pivoted on the stand and pivotally connected with said link.

CHARLES J. DALLEY. 

